Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico Co. helps future neighbors break ground on new homes

SALISBURY, Md. – Habitat For Humanity of Wicomico County (Habitat) helped two families sow the seeds of generational wealth in Salisbury Thursday morning.

Future Neighbors, New Possibilities

Come next year, the families will be neighbors, and owners of brand-new homes on Grace Street.

“I’m super excited,” said Valerie Styles, who will be moving her family into the future home. “I can’t say that I didn’t think we were going to get here—I knew it was coming, but I’m just super excited that it’s finally here.”

Kiya Lofland, whose family will soon be neighbors with the Styles, is looking forward to making new memories.

“It’s been two years since we started the process,” Lofland said. “So, now I actually see it with my own two eyes that working hard pays off.”

Happy Homes Incoming

The homes will measure up to more than 1,200 square feet. Molly Hilligoss, Habitat’s CEO, says the residences will come complete with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Plus, the families are set up with affordable mortgages—less than 30% of their respective incomes.

“It builds generational wealth,” Hilligoss said. “That’s what we’re all about!”

And while the families did not have to make a down payment on the homes, they certainly put in the hard work to achieve their goals.

“We require the families to do a minimum of 200 volunteer hours, which we call sweat equity,” Hilligoss explained.

Sweat equity can include helping to build Habitat homes, volunteering in the organization’s ReStore, children maintaining good grades in school, or can even be earned by babysitters of families working toward a Habitat home.

“It’s not uncommon for our partner families to have more than one job, so it can be difficult to get those hours done,” Hilligoss said. “We find ways to make sure that they can get them done.”

“This is ours.”

For both the Lofland and Styles families, every hour of that work was worth it.

“It’s a great opportunity. Habitat for Humanity has been great. They have walked me through the entire process from beginning to end,” Lofland said. “To be able to eventually see the home that I put the sweat equity hours in for is going to be amazing.”

“It takes time, and the more time you put into it, the more you work hard, the quicker you get your home,” Styles added. “I would recommend it to anybody and everybody.”

Styles said that along with a roof over her family’s head, the new home provides peace of mind.

“We’ve been renting, and they sell the house from underneath us,” Styles said. “We don’t have to worry about that this time. This is ours. We’re not going anywhere.”

Looking Ahead

Masonry workers will be on-site next week to start on the foundation. Hilligoss says volunteer opportunities for this project will likely open up in October. Habitat is hoping to get the certificates for occupancy in hand by February, and house keys to the families by March.

Beyond that, Hilligoss teased another exciting project coming to Wicomico County. She said that the organization is working with a local developer to bring 50 affordable houses and townhomes online for the workforce market.

Hilligoss urges Wicomico County residents to reach out to Habitat as soon as possible in order to be at the top of that list. Details on the project will be forthcoming, Hilligoss says.